#I think at the very least they could form a mutual respect for each others skill and perhaps a friendship of the circumstances allowed it

[derelictheretic]

OC KISS DAY 2: Kit Cross & Casper Vazquez — Kiss on the knuckles

Thank you @socially-awkward-skeleton for letting me use your unhinged girl!!

[vampiresfromxenon]

I Wanted To

Astarion x gn! Reader/Tav

Almost 3.5k words 

Tags: Fluff, kisses, cuddling, angst, biting mention, no use of y/n, words of affection (so much sappiness), soft! Astarion, they’re in love your honor!! 

CW: Slight mentions of SA and trauma (extremely minor, incredibly light piece)

Summary: You and Astarion decide to start your relationship over once you both confess your feelings. It's a mutual decision to take things extremely slow, celebrating little victories of intimacy here and there. Tonight, you can't hide your words of affection as he becomes more comfortable and vulnerable around you.

~

It’s been a few months traveling with this rowdy crew, and you can’t help but smile thinking about how much you love them all. Granted, they all piss you off on the daily, what from Shadowheart and Lae’zel attempting to kill each other, to Gale eating your favorite pair of enchanted gloves, but you can’t help yourself from smiling every time you think about how close you’ve all grown. One particular member in the party you have become very close with stands out a bit more than the rest, and thoughts about him are enough to make you unsettlingly giddy. 

For the longest time, you and the pale elf fought your feelings, too cold to warm up to each other. You both had a wicked past, something that tainted your current perceptions of love and romance. His may have been far more extreme than yours, but regardless of that fact, your feelings and emotions were still valid. For a short few weeks, you found yourselves being extra intimate, dismissing it all as stress relief and nothing more. Those little excursions were merely there as a form of self protection: He gained your trust and protection, and you felt less alone and vulnerable at night. Or, so you thought, until you noticed how distant he was, his eyes never meeting yours every time he sought to pleasure you. 

It wasn’t until recently that these barriers slowly began to be chipped away for the both of you, your infatuation not only becoming more real, but unfortunately, more terrifying. One night, you approached him, being brave and understanding if he had other thoughts about what you two could be. It was late, most of the camp either asleep or preparing for bed. You approached him, a soft hand on his shoulder, even though he was well aware you were there. What you were there for though, remained a mystery to him. He turned, smiling at you, taking your hand and kissing it affectionately. As your heart raced, you began a discussion with him, asking his thoughts and feelings about your ‘connection’ rather than just bombarding him with an overwhelming confession of love. 

He seemed stunned to say the least, unsure of what to say or how to feel. It was strange for him, his cold heart beating a little faster, feeling a little warmer at the sight of you in front of him, actually seeing him for him and not just another plaything. All these feelings were bubbling up inside him because, for the first time in a long time, someone not only asked him what he wanted in a romantic relationship, but they respected anything he said on that subject matter. In all his nervousness, he felt that he could be honest in his reciprocation to see how far you two could go, this time with real feelings. That was a few weeks ago, and all this time since has been magical. 

You haven’t intimately slept together since just before that night, instead establishing boundaries and focusing more on the non-sexual ways to be intimate, loving, and kind. He loves the way your hand brushes his, the way your fingers interlace with his as he moves in to hold your hand. You love the way his hand lands on your back, stretching to your hip to pull you closer to him, especially when meeting new people from town to town. While you still struggle with eye-contact in general, it feels easier around him, especially now since he has found himself to be more comfortable actually looking at you, taking in your appearance and being more present in your conversations. 

For many nights now, you’ve been cuddled up nicely in one or the other’s tent, fingers interlaced, hands gently wrapped around hips, legs occasionally intertwined. He still continues to feed on you, though he makes sure to gain your permission before bed each night. On the nights where you felt too tired, too drained mentally even, he would leave you be, hoping to keep you as comfortable as possible. Those nights were just as romantic, as you could feel his breath against your neck as he cuddles you tightly, his lips on your shoulder as he falls into the soft rhythm of sleep. 

Tonight didn’t start off any differently from any other night; you both gathered in his tent, doing your nightly routines as per usual (always before promptly passing out until the next morning hit you like a boulder). Most nights he would wear a nice, silky pajama set, one he purchased from an unreasonably expensive fashion designer in a small village. You didn’t have as luxurious of pajamas, but yours still covered most of your body, keeping you feeling safe and snuggled up each night.

Neither of you expected that this night would change everything.

He’s standing off to the side of your shared bedroll, changing into his pajamas while your back is turned to him, fiddling with the blanket you both share. You notice just how used this blanket is, and you realize that it might have been the only thing giving him comfort, the feeling of security over the past 200 or so years. Astarion was far from one to share, whether it was his feelings or his belongings, and it isn’t long before you have a second realization: you are possibly the only person to have ever slept with that blanket besides him. Your fingers gently roll the decaying fabric between your fingers, taking in all of his memories that have been exhausted on the threads. 

You hear him walking over and you drop your thoughts about the blanket, not wanting to pry into more of his distressing past. He kneels, picking up the blanket and sliding next to you, your bodies touching in an instant. Turning your attention away from the blanket, you look up to see your love is shirtless, moving around in the bedroll, trying to be more comfortable at your side. 

You know just how insecure he is about his scars from Cazador, that disgusting, vile, treacherous bitch, but it was so lovely to see him stepping out of his comfort zone. While you’re quick to notice this new change, he’s even quicker to notice your reaction. Diving back into his comfort charm, he smirks at you, loading a phrase to protect his vulnerable side.

“Like what you see, darling?” His eyes flutter to the side a bit, and you immediately notice his withdrawal from the conversation. With a calm and gentle hand, you caress his cheek, turning his attention back to you. 

“I always love what I see…” You smile, your eyes looking at him in such a way that your face beams with pride, though you try to find a balance between that and neutral so as to not overwhelm him. To see just how much he trusts you, is willing to open up to you and be vulnerable… Your heart can barely take it. In a quiet voice you’re sure to check in on him, wanting to make sure he feels secure in his choice. “Don’t feel you have to do this for me though, okay?” 

His hand reaches up to hold yours against his cold cheek, his stare suddenly becoming more present. “I wanted to.” His voice is low, his hand taking yours off his face as he leans in gently to kiss your palm. He kisses your forehead before moving to lie down, making himself comfortable in your small space. 

You sit there for a moment, considering your options. You don’t want to make him uncomfortable, but you want him to be aware that you feel the same sense of shared comfort. As he turns to the side, looking at a book he left on the ground earlier, you move to remove your shirt, tossing it off to the side. He moves the book away from you both so you don’t roll into it in the night. Turning back to face you, he pauses, taking in the sight of your bare chest. He looks up at you, tilting his head, nearly asking you the same question you just asked him.

Before he can say anything, you lean slightly closer to him, your voice a loud whisper. “I wanted to.” His eyes soften, and you can tell he’s flattered by this display of intimacy. You begin to crawl under the old blanket with him, and he pulls you close, his hand around your waist. The feel of his cold, soft skin against your bare back is enough to send shivers down your spine, and you realize that this must be so close to what heaven feels like. His free hand reaches up and caresses your jaw before tangling in your hair, gently playing with it as he knows it helps you fall asleep. 

Your hand rests on his bare chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat slowing down as he continues to relax in your care. You lie there for a while, trying to sleep, but something is keeping you awake. Perhaps it’s the looming threat that you could all die soon in brutally vicious ways, or the fact that you don’t want to waste a single second enjoying this time with your new lover. Suppose you’ll never truly know. 

Regardless of what is keeping you up on this night, you begin to feel a little restless, unable to lie there in that position for too much longer without your arms going numb. You sit up a little, leaning on the arm you’ve been lying on, trying to not wake your companion. However, his body shifts with you, and it appears that he is still just as awake as you are.

 “I didn't wake you, did I?” You whisper in a worried voice. 

“Not in the slightest, my dear. Unable to sleep tonight, as I am sure you understand.”

You sigh, still leaning over him slightly, his hand that was once on your waist now drawing circles on your shoulder blade, the hand in your hair now resting on your hip. You want to speak, but you find yourself getting lost in the way his face looks in the moonlight peeking through his tent flap. It frames his face so perfectly, almost as if this scene was sculpted by the Gods. He notices your sudden distance, and he is quick to check in on you. 

“Are you alright, love?” He asks, a tinge of concern in his voice, once again tilting his head like a confused puppy. 

“Sorry… Yes, yes. More than alright.” You reassure him, not breaking your focus. A beat; he attempts to determine what’s on your mind. Thinking he’s found it, he smirks. 

“Admiring how beautiful I am?”

“Yeah… Just looking at creases around your eyes…” You say in a loving tone, not even remotely aware of how backhanded the comment you just made sounds. 

He begins to shuffle, pushing you away, offended by your lack of sincerity. “Alright, there’s no need-” 

“No! Not like that.” You chuckle, snapping back into reality. You grab him, pulling him back to you, his head pressing back into the pillow below you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just-” You can’t stop yourself from laughing a little at the sight of your pouting partner underneath you. 

You notice just how unamused he is, and you abruptly stop laughing, clearing your throat and composing yourself in a more serious manner. Your hand reaches up and the pad of your thumb brushes against his crows feet, your mind falling back into your feelings of love and adoration for him. 

“The way your eyes crinkle when you laugh… The way your eyes sharpen when you’re glaring at me, like you are right now… The way they soften every time I walk in the room… I love those wrinkles, they’re such a beautiful part of you.” He relaxes again, taking in your words, though still unhappy at your mention of his wrinkles, making him feel old. Though, no matter how much he hates his aging characteristics being brought up, he will never turn away any form of flattery. 

“Well, augh. You really are sweet, aren’t you? But I’m sure you like more of me than just my dreaded wrinkles.” He was definitely fishing for compliments, that much was obvious, but he wasn’t aware of just how much you wanted to smother him in loving words. You lean forward and kiss his crows feet on both sides, surprising him. Smiling, your thumb traces over his eyebrows, taking in their shape and feel. 

“My eyebrows, really? Nothing else catching your eye?” He whines, his hands going back to resting on your shoulder blade and hip. He can feel your body shake as you laugh, your head falling forward towards his chest as you continue to giggle from his pouting. You bring your head back up, focusing on his face once more. 

“One thing at a time, dearest.” You pause, analyzing the shape of his eyebrows. Just how sharp they are, how often he uses them to his advantage when he is charming people. As you continue to gaze at them, he raises one of them, making your heart go crazy. 

“You’re so expressive. Your eyebrows are so perfectly shaped, the way you use them like a weapon… I know it’s silly, I know they’re just eyebrows, but they’re your eyebrows, and they mean so much to me.” You trail off, your face flushed with embarrassment as you realize just how overly sentimental your words are. He smiles at you, knowing just how hard you’re trying, and appreciating every second of it. You kiss his eyebrows before quickly moving on.

Your fingers trace along his face, noticing his mole. By now he’s exhausted, you’re three for three with things he’s sensitive about. “Darling, if this is your way of making me feel less upset about not being able to look in mirrors, I must say it’s starting to work.” His words deceive his face and body language, but you still try to abide by his wishes. 

Wanting to show your love, without spending too much time on it, you mention how much the mole under his eye suits him, how he would almost seem incomplete without a beauty spot. The usage of ‘beauty’ in ‘beauty spot’ convinced him to let it slide, but the ice you were dreamily skating on was wearing thin. Kissing his mole, you move on once again. 

The skin of his nose was soft as you trace the pad of your finger down the bridge of his nose. “Your nose… it’s so sharp. Don’t laugh, but one of my favorite feelings is when I wake up and your nose is either on my back or my neck. I can feel your breathing on my skin, your nose pressed against me while you sleep. It’s so calming, having any little part of you so close to me.” He looks at you a little confused, mostly due to the fact that you’re still here appreciating him. The things you’re saying, they’re so small and insignificant, yet you enunciate each word like it’s the most important thing you’ll ever say. Each word has a purpose, a meaning, and they fall out of your mouth effortlessly; something he still has yet to learn how to do. 

You kiss the tip of his nose, your fingers tracing down his face to his smile lines. Oh his smile lines. You just can’t help but adore his smile lines, no matter how much he absolutely hates them. He hates them because they age him, but you love them for all the same reason. To know he laughs, smiles, has any semblance of being happy is enough for you to be overjoyed at the sight of these lines that prove the existence that he has been able to enjoy life enough to have physical proof on his face.

“Don’t you dare.” He teases, though you wish he could bear with you for just a moment to explain your thoughts. Figuring you could do it another time, as tonight has already had enough excitement, you kiss his smile lines and spare him from your honeyed words. 

Last, but certainly not least: his lips. Your thumb traces over his lips which are closed together, gently pushing up just enough to where you wonder if he was trying to secretly kiss your thumb. As you continue to run your thumb over his lips, reminiscing on all the times your own experienced his, he takes you by surprise. 

Removing the hand from your hip, his thumb graces your lips, and you find yourself trying to inconspicuously kiss at it like he did to you just moments ago. You open your mouth to speak, but he uses his finger to silence you, gently shushing you. 

“My turn.” His voice is smooth and tender as his thumb continues to trace over your slightly parted lips. “Your lips… They have always been so soft and inviting.” He pauses, still staring at them.

“I must admit, I despised them at first.” A confused expression crosses your face just before he continues. “They would taunt me on a daily basis, the one thing I couldn’t have no matter how much charm I threw at you. When I was eventually graced with them, I loathed the way my name would be cried out from them, almost as if you were saying it like a prayer. It tore me apart, wanting something I wasn’t sure I actually wanted, or even felt like I deserved…” He trails off, though his gaze remains constant on you.

“How do they make you feel now?” You softly ask, just barely loud enough for even yourself to hear.

He thinks on this for a moment, searching for the proper word.

“Safe.” 

He leans up to you, cupping your cheek as he kisses you, the most delicate and loving kiss you two have ever shared. You both pull from the kiss, exercising restraint and respect for your pre-established boundaries. A hand resting on his chest, you encourage him to lie back on the pillow once more, which he does. You lean forward, kissing every part of his face that you mentioned, as well as a few spots just because you wanted to. Kissing his lips again, you pull apart just enough to whisper against his lips. 

“I admire everything about you. Every aspect of you is just so lovely… Thank you for being here, with me. I don’t ever want to leave your side.”

He smiles, his fangs poking out this time. His hand moves a strand of hair out of your face as he clears his throat. 

“And thank you for all the kisses.” He says, resuming his usual charm. You try to hide your slight disappointment, but you know he is trying his best and you can’t expect him to always meet you halfway, especially in this time of healing. 

“Always.” You whisper, lying down next to him as he wraps his arms around you, holding you closely. It’s late, and now that you have this feeling lifted off your chest, you find it easier to sleep. Your heart rate begins to slow, your breathing finding its usual pattern, your lover wrapped up tightly with you. 

When you’re on the edge of falling asleep, you feel his head tilting down towards yours, which is resting on his chest. His lips kiss the top of your head, his chin then resting on that same spot. A quiet voice breaks the air, unaware that it still has an audience.

“I love you.”

You freeze, unsure of whether or not you have actually fallen into a dream state, or if you just heard him correctly. In this state of grogginess, your body shifts as you attempt to determine the truth.

“Shit. Did you hear that?”

“Mhm.” You sleepily groan. He lets out a sigh of relief, thinking he’s talking to you in your sleep like he has before. Settling further into the bedroll, making himself more comfortable, he pulls you tighter, finally deciding to rest. 

“I love you too.” You break the silence, your voice more awake this time. His eyes flash open, his red irises laser focused on you. You can feel his heart pounding as you rest on his chest, and you lean over and kiss just above his heart.

“Safe.” Is all you can say before promptly passing out, your warm skin slowly heating up his own. He sits there for another moment, taking in the events of today. It was a lot, to say the least, but he felt comfortable and confident in his decisions, and that was almost truly a first for him. His hand finds its way back into your hair, stroking it as he begins to drift off to sleep, for the first time in a long time feeling comfortable, guarded, protected, safe. 

~

Author’s Note:

He’s extremely OOC, I’m 95% sure lmao but I love making characters total softies, even if we don’t see that side of them in the media they’re from. (I'm still in the very beginning of Act 2 so I'm learning a lot about him through this site too)

I’ve never experienced love, I’m also sure that’s obvious- I’ve always wanted to do something like this with someone though (look at their face and kiss all my favorite spots). While I was writing this, I felt so awkward writing such sappy dialogue, but I realized that moments like these aren’t smooth and rehearsed; feelings get mushy and oftentimes people say dumb and dorky things because they’re just so in love. I hope it gets translated that way at least hahaha

My Spotify is fucked because I listen to specific songs on repeat whenever I write. I have probably about 4-5 hours of “Blue Moon” by Billie Holiday logged on there now because of all the time planning, writing, and thinking about this fic- I got this song from Neil’s Astarion playlist, it’s so sweet and loving :) 

Edit: So many people are saying he’s actually pretty in character so thank you for the validation because I was nervous 😭

[entropyvoid]

Greater Sumeru Autism Polycule

This started off as a joke and sorta spiraled outta control just a teensy tiny lil bit. Honestly I would’ve liked to have slapped a bit more on there but uh. Paper space was limited. Transcript below readmore because I know my handwriting can be difficult for some to read? (Plus extra character interpretations/headcanons in italics.)

Disaster MLM half:

Cyno - Highly competitive, except towards Nari, who he practically reveres.

Tighnari - Designated mom friend. (Tighnari is a master of knowing when to be strict and when to be soft. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, but he’s also got a very kind and caring side that encourages others to open up/be vulnerable to him. He makes sure people are taken care of.)

Alhaitham - (He is often misunderstood by others as looking down on them and does nothing to correct their misconceptions or to try and make friends, so I imagine he may have been a bit surprised to basically wake up one day and find himself surrounded by people who look past that and see him for who he is, given that he is probably Teyvat’s most introverted person. He tends to analyze and pick apart the people he likes, like he’s examining them in a petri dish, and if he cares for them he will go out of his way to do silent favors. Not one to express affection verbally (I don’t think he knows how to communicate in a way that isn’t biting and critical,) he lets his actions speak for themselves, and if the other person doesn’t pick up on it, then whatever.)

Kaveh - (An emotional wreck who gives and gives and gives and gives and gives. The people who really stick in his life in the end though are the ones who support him, rather than the other way around, even though Kaveh does his best to try and keep his multitude of problems to himself.)

Kaveh and Alhaitham: Friends to enemies to roommates to lovers? (It’s complicated.) (Tsundere x Kuudere. Teyvat’s messiest gays, hands down. There is so much more to say about them than I have the room for here.)

Cyno and Tighnari: Anthro guy and his furry boyfriend, sweet and spend as much time together as possible, co-parenting Collei. (They’re very domestic with each other. Cyno lowkey lives for competition and usually bonds with others through it, but he doesn’t really do that so much with Nari, their relationship seems to be the exception. Perhaps because Cyno thinks so highly of Tighnari and has such a tremendous amount of trust for him that he just sort of believes Tighnari will succeed at whatever he does.)

Kaveh and Cyno: Met through Tighnari, and like each other a lot. Unbeknownst to Kaveh though, Cyno sees him as a comedic rival. (And thinks he’s very pretty.) (Kaveh is unaware of this. Both the Cyno thinking he’s pretty bit, and the fact that Cyno sees him as a comedic rival. Kaveh doesn’t even try to be funny, his rants about his roommate just sort of are by default.)

Cyno and Alhaitham: Like two tomcats having a standoff (homoerotic edition.) (Haitham is not typically a competitive person, but his respect and admiration for Cyno makes him sort of an exception, and each of them r e a l l y bring out the fight in each other. I think of their relationship as being much like the one between a shounen protag (in this case Cyno) and their rival (in this case Alhaitham.) They challenge each other, bring out the best in each other and have fun in the process, and form a close bond built on a deep level of mutual respect. A.k.a if Cyno is Yugi-coded, then Alhaitham is his Kaiba.)

Alhaitham and Tighnari: Met through Kaveh, lowkey awkward and shy towards each other in a way neither really expresses. They don’t quite fully know what to make of the other, but they do like each other. (Could become something more…?) (They seem to interact the least in the group, and Tighnari’s perception of Alhaitham is probably effected by Kaveh’s endless ranting and venting, but they’re both friendly towards each other and seem to like each other. But I’d like to see them interact more directly with each other. Plus - sometimes Alhaitham needs to be told he’s being a prideful idiot - and I think Tighnari’s the only person in his life who would be able to calmly break down and explain why he’s being an idiot, and Alhaitham would be very likely to listen to him.)

Tighnari and Kaveh: Long time besties, Nari is Kaveh’s designated venting buddy and his last anchor to sanity. (Tighnari is also particularly gentle with and supportive of Kaveh.)

Wholesome WLW half:

Dehya - Tripped and ended up with three girlfriends, and brought them all together. (Dehya probably gets propositions from a lotta starstruck swooning ladies, but it’s always while she’s on the job, and she’s a professional. Plus, I hc her as demiromantic, I just get the vibe that she’d only really want to date people she already knows well. She has a very tough reputation, but is very tender with her three weed smoking gfs.)

Dunyarzad - Is very active during her Elezar recovery and often travels to visit her various girlfriends and likes to bring them gifts. (I think she loves nature, and once she’s able to more freely move and explore without the threat of being locked away, I think nothing could stop Dunyarzad from going to see as much of Sumeru as she can. Dehya often accompanies her.)

Nilou - This is what punk looks like in Sumeru. (Local artist down to overthrow the government at the drop of a hat, is stuck in a constant struggle against the Akademiya to have the right to exist as herself publicly. Nilou’s incredibly badass, actually.)

Candace - Calm and comforting, Candace herself is like an oasis in the desert to those close to her.

Dehya and Dunyarzad: Lady and her knight romance. (Their adoration for each other is clear. Dehya’s too professional to date her employer, but all bets are off once she quits.)

Dehya and Candace: Two of the desert’s toughest warriors being ridiculously cute and wholesome together.

Dehya and Nilou: Dehya not only has a lot of respect for Nilou’s nonconformity and resistance, but also finds her adorable. Takes her out often.

Dunyarzad and Nilou: Long standing friends, now go on trips together often. (Nilou’s schedule is very flexible, so she’s often down to travel with Dunyarzad at the drop of a hat, where Dehya is sometimes preoccupied with a job. Plus, they totally both end up planning future Sabzeruz festivals together.)

Dunyarzad and Candace: Met through Dehya and quickly became close. Dunyarzad has a type, and it’s sweet yet badass women.

Candace and Nilou: Nilou’s always the most successful at getting Candace to step away from her duties in Aaru village and go have fun with everyone. (The others really don’t know how she does it.)

Aaaand the couple of bridges between:

Kaveh and Nilou: Unbreakable bond of the only two art kids in Sumeru. (Pls hoyo I need them to interact in canon.)

Alhaitham and Dehya: Alhaitham has a one-sided crush on Dehya, (and occasionally invites her to TCG nights,) while Dehya thinks he’s the weirdest friend she has. (I hc Alhaitham as the kind of bisexual guy who’s 99% attracted to men with like One Buff Woman thrown in there because. Frankly. I think it adds a really funny extra dimension to their relationship. Haitham has never met anyone as forthright and honest as Dehya, and admires that about her. Dehya would never reciprocate his feelings in a million years, she values him as a friend, but also finds him snooty and insufferable at times, and struggles to understand him largely because of the vast cultural/communication style gap between Akademiya scholars and Eremite mercenaries, though this is somewhat bridged by the fact that both of them are extremely honest, blunt, and upfront about what they think. Despite their differences, they are a fun duo.)

[thelionandtheeagle]

Re: Knight Terrors - Robin #2

There is so much here I could talk about, it's hard to even pick/ decide where to start. I guess I'll just say this up front: I really didn't like the first issue, and while I still have some minor gripes with this second one, it was overarchingly damn good and I'm ridiculously excited that Tim and Jason were finally allowed again to have an interaction that makes sense for them, given their past history. It's been 84 years I swear.

Now without further ado:

1)

The way they see themselves and each other.

This excerpt goes perfectly with a different post I was working on, talking about what happened at Titans Tower.

(Jason narrating, referring to Tim; Teen Titans 2003 #29)

Tim chronically suffers from imposter syndrome. He's constantly doubting himself. But Jason has always believed, known, that Tim is good at what he does. And over time his conviction in regards to it has only grown stronger. Jason's high opinion of Tim's capabilities is actually part of the reason he was so hurt about being "replaced" by Tim, specifically.

(Jason talking to Tim during Robin War; Red Hood/Arsenal 2015 #7)

Jason has always seen Tim as better than himself. All the while Tim has struggled to feel capable of living up to Jason's legacy. But Tim still took up the mantle because he cared and he had to try. And Jason recognizes that.

(Tim talking at a portrait of Jason, Secret Origins 2014 #3)

(Red Hood/Arsenal 2015 #37)

(Red Hood and the Outlaws 2011 #8)

In summary for this section: Tim and Jason tend to think lowly of themselves, but highly of each other. There's mutual respect and understanding. That's at the very core of their relationship and Knight Terrors showcases that beautifully.

2)

Another great thing about their dynamic that gets shown off in this issue is that they make a damn good team and enjoy working together.

throughout the issue

(Tim narrating, Teen Titans 2011 #16)

(We are Robin 2015 #7)

3)

Last but not least, we get some delightfully, painfully, tender moments.

Jason wishes for someone to count on. And Tim is right there for him. Which gets heavily doubled down on at the end of the issue:

Tim is always ready to work with Jason, to lend a hand, to be there for him-

- and Jason trusts Tim with his life.

Which, speaking of life...

After waking up, Jason tries to get in contact with Tim and when he can't, we see how devastate he is, thinking something went wrong. Ouch.

In conclusion: I was worried going in, with DC's track record lately, but I can happily say I was beyond pleasantly surprised. This feels like a return to form, and I pray we'll get more content featuring these two in the near future. If you haven't checked it out yourself yet, I highly recommend reading this issue.

Thanks for listening <3 I know this was a lot hah

[alpaca-clouds]

What even makes a story Solarpunk?

I thought to myself that given the fact I am gonna review a few more Solarpunk short stories and given that there is some interest in me talking about Solarpunk media, it would make sense for me to talk a bit about what - to me - makes a story Solarpunk.

As I have established before: I can think of quite a few stories that are not technically Solarpunk, but feel very Solarpunk.

To make it simply: I think there is two aspects to Solarpunk in storytelling. One of them is themes, the other is the worldbuilding. And yes, I think a story can be kinda Solarpunk just based on the themes, even if it just takes place in a normal fantasy setting, a historical setting or just in the modern world.

Solarpunk Themes

I talked about it last week how Dungeon Meshi feels quite Solarpunk to me. And the reason for this is the themes it deals with. Because those themes are absolutely there.

Themes I would consider to be Solarpunk:

Community/Found Family

Mutual Aid

Environmentalism in some way

General Living in Harmony with Nature/Respecting Nature

Respecting Indigenous ways of life

Decolonialisation

Marginalized people banding together

I do not think that a single one of those themes is making a story Solarpunk, but when several of them come together.

I also talked about how the movie Misaki no Mayoiga, which takes place after the Tohoku earthquake, feels very, very Solarpunk, even though it takes place in 2011. Because it just features so many of those themes. Big theming around community and found family. Big use of mutual aid. Living in harmony with nature specifically according to old Shinto traditions.

And that just makes the movie feel so very Solarpunk.

Solarpunk in Worldbuilding

Then there is obviously the way that a story can be set in a Solarpunk setting. Which probably is some sort of science fiction setting (though I do argue that it could also be fantasy) that features certain aspects.

Energy in this setting is probably generated by some sustainable source (maybe solar, hydro, wind, maybe some other source)

There are efforts being done that the world is being rewilded in some way

Sustainable living is a big theme in the world

The society in the world is more accepting and integrated than it is right now

There might be some sort of decolonization efforts going on

There might be some development towards (or already archived) anarchism

The world at large does at least make efforts to move past capitalism (because really, everything else is not archivable under capitalism)

While I would argue the world can be in different stages when it comes to the different points, I do think that to really get Solarpunk each of the points has to be addressed in some way or form.

Though it is to me also very speaking, that a lot of folks really do not seem to be able to imagine a post-capitalist world...

What I am trying to say

I do think that a piece of media can absolutely qualify as "kinda solarpunk" if it just uses those themes above. And yes, this also means that a lot more media can be considered Solarpunk in terms of themes, than by fitting the Solarpunk worldbuilding so far.

I would love to see more Solarpunk worldbuilding, though. :)

[blues824]

Helloo can I just request the dorm leaders + ortho(platonic obviously) with a gn!reader like shuri from black panther.

Like how would they react to them using their inventions against an overblot and them just being really smart.

Thank you and have a good day/night!

Going off the Wiki, but I love Shuri so freaking much. Also, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MALLEUS’S OVERBLOT, SO DON’T SPOIL IT!

Riddle Rosehearts

Mans acts as formal as T’Challa, but is way more strict with the rules. Even though you joke around with him, he remains formal. Very rarely does he respond with an attempted joke of his own. However, you both have a mutual respect and love for one another.

You don’t stick to tradition very much, and that is something that tends to get on Riddle’s nerves because he’s very traditional. Well, that was at first. After his overblot, he learned that he needed to not be so stingy. So, you were the first to lead him through breaking tradition.

Speaking of, you assisted in taking him down when he overblotted. He knew that you were very intelligent, but the use of vibranium machinery to fight was a whole other level. Riddle stood no chance against your genius. It took a few seconds and an infirmary trip for him to really be amazed by your brilliant mind.

Leona Kingscholar

He forms relationships based on trust and respect, so you both are actually perfect for one another. It didn’t take too long for the two of you to get together because of this. He’s not at all formal and also uses sarcasm, so it becomes a love language between the two of you.

Neither of you follow tradition or have the desire to, so that also pairs up very nicely. Sure, you will if absolutely necessary, but you won’t do it by choice. However, there were a few times where you did dress up in traditional clothing so that you can feel the comfort of being back home, and Leona doesn’t comment on it because he respects and loves you.

When he overblotted, he also stood no chance against you or the technology that you made to prepare for situations like these. You were always 5 steps ahead, using vibranium since it was the strongest metal there was in existence in any universe. 

Azul Ashengrotto

He also acts very formal and professional, but not as much as Riddle does. Sarcasm is thrown a bit here and there, but he doesn’t attempt to joke around with you. Respect goes both ways, but at the beginning it wasn’t always that way. He tried to get you to give up the vibranium you had access to, and you blatantly refused.

Azul doesn’t follow the traditions of the Coral Sea, and you don’t follow the traditions of Wakanda. However, the two of you are interested in each other’s cultures. So, there was one day where you met him in traditional Wakandan clothing, and he was absolutely fascinated. 

You were prepared for when he overblotted, and made sure that the machinery you used would work underwater. Since you were intelligent enough to predict his overblot, you knew exactly how to fight him. What he didn’t know though is that you operated away from the actual fight, and were controlling your technology remotely.

Kalim Al-Asim

Mans is the least formal person you will probably see, but he doesn’t understand sarcasm at all. He will joke around with you though, and it’s refreshing for you to see someone so light hearted at this school full of depressed people.

I don’t think he’s too traditional, but I could be wrong. You, however, are not traditional at all until he asks if you could wear something Wakandan to see the contrast. So, you did at the next party he threw, and he was amazed at how cool you looked.

When Jamil overblotted, you were nowhere to be seen. Kalim thought you got hurt and he was extremely worried until your technology showed up. You, with a speaker, said that you were operating it remotely, and that you were alright. Bro let out a huge sigh of relief.

Vil Schoenheit

He’s definitely very professional, but he won’t hesitate to use sarcasm and wit to put someone in their place as a nonviolent solution. So, when you decide to joke around and be all silly, he will reprimand you by making a sarcastic remark.

Vil has had to wear all sorts of traditional clothing because of roles he was casted for in movies, so he understands if you choose to wear Wakandan clothing. When you do, he will compliment you on how it looks on you, but won’t give it too much attention.

When this Housewarden overblotted, he foresaw your using technology. However, after all the others, you were constantly making upgrades as you learned more about the technology in Twisted Wonderland and how you could use it to add an element of surprise. Needless to say, your tech was the victor.

Idia Shroud

Mans really wanted to ask you to marry him once you showed him that your technologically inclined mind matched his. He just about made a ring when you helped him upgrade Ortho time and time again. However, he gets so flustered around you, especially when you get comfortable enough to joke around with him. Don’t expect him to make a sarcastic remark.

He understands not wanting to follow tradition, but he’s kind of forced to because of the curse that was placed on his family long ago. But, there was one time where you showed up to Ignihyde in traditional Wakandan clothing and he was shocked since he hadn’t seen anything like it.

You both actually clashed together when he overblotted, but luckily you didn’t tell him all of your secrets. You had the element of surprise on your side, and you used it to your advantage. Since your machines were made out of vibranium (the little key secret), they were nearly indestructible. He wasn’t even mad in the infirmary room.

Ortho Shroud

You first became friends with him because he broke down due to a bug in his system. You took him to Ramshackle and gave a temporary fix that would last until you got him back to Ignihyde. Through that, you became very close, like siblings.

Ortho is aware of the Shroud family curse, and he followed in his brother’s footsteps as he followed the traditional route of the family. You had briefly mentioned your homeland of Wakanda, but nothing popped up when he searched the entirety of the internet. So he asked a bunch of questions as you helped Idia upgrade him.

During Idia’s overblot, the younger Shroud brother was also never informed of your technology because you did something special with it. It wasn’t connected to any Twisted Wonderland database, and therefore there was no way that Ortho would have known about it.

Malleus Draconia

He genuinely loves your company. Your mind is incredibly interesting, and while he has no idea what you’re talking about as you rant about how Twisted Wonderland’s technology backed by vibranium would be better, he sees the passion in your eyes. 

This guy is all about tradition, but he doesn’t mind straying away from it every once in a while. After all, tradition is the reason why he has retainers. You are not one to follow tradition, but there was one time where you donned your Wakandan clothing and wore it to reminisce about your homeland, and he was very curious about where you come from. He’s not as technologically inclined as you are, but he’s seen how you use your creations in battle against all of the overblots and he is very impressed. You seem to have a lot of experience… if only he knew…

[radioactive-earthshine]

Why Bart/Kon Shouldn't Be A Rare-Pair: The Konbart Manifesto and Friendship Deep-Dive.

This is a long post with a read more cut further down.

Trigger Words: Death, Depression

I feel like during the time Kon and Bart were both out of comic continuity a lot of comic enjoyers 1.) forgot that these two were intensely close and 2.) in the case of newer fans never even realized the depths of their friendship even prior to Young Justice 2019.

This post is going to primarily focus on Bart and Kon's friendship and how they work together both presented in the comics, and what is implied through dialog and circumstantial events.

Even if you are not looking at what is presented below through the shipping lens, what I am going to compile here at the very least showcases that they have an intense friendship and solidifies that Kon is one of Bart's lightening rods and these two are relevant to each other in ways that I rarely see explored in fan works.

Bart in fanworks with Kon is frequently more or less there as a backdrop to another ship, is there for light moments or just is glazed over as "not a best friend" when the comics make it blatant that Bart and Kon are intensely close.

So let me explain their history and why they work so well together as friends first, and how the ship makes sense and should not be considered rare or a "crack-ship" as they are mutually affectionate.

1.) Kon and Bart share a ridiculous amount of things in common.

I talk about this frequently on this blog and others have pointed this out before in separate posts, but their similarities and sense of belonging to their respective worlds are factors that absolutely bind them closer and in special ways that others do not.

Unfortunately, this is (mostly) an indirect example of their dynamic because DC either sees no value in exploring these commonalities, or writers just have not recognized these details to explore them to fulfil deeper connections between Kon and Bart.

The exception to this was when Bart acknowledged their own sense of isolation and 'weirdness' in Young Justice 2019 The Emancipation of Bartholomew.

"I don't know who to talk to about any of this. No one can relate. Not even the other Flashes. I think that's what you and I always kind of had in common, Conner. We are not like everyone else. Even in our Superman and Flash columns... We are the most different." - Bart

Bart is ultimately correct here as both he and Kon share that when it comes to their family columns they stand out and have history and abilities that is isolating to the point where others in their families might not be able to connect to or relate to them in specific ways, but that doesn't stop their respective families from trying and loving them regardless.

Other than their isolation, they also share in common some key things that happened to them in their lives and some traits that a writer could absolutely capitalize on to make a strong story and it binds them closer together.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of past formative events that both Kon and Bart share.

They both were victims of dubiously moral scientists at the orders of cruel men.

They both do not have proper childhoods due to their unique births, younger life situations, and weird aging (see #4).

Both have genius level intellects, but no one really acknowledges it or takes it seriously.

They both had weird aging outside of Sins of Youth.

Both were cloned by cruel people and their clones replace them so successfully they fooled their friends and family that the imposter was them.

Both at varying times had members of their respective families not believe in them and questioned their integrity, morality and ability to be a hero.

Both mutually shared trauma associated with Bart's first "death" on Apokolips that others in their team did not.

Both had their mentors 'die' while they were not present and had to have the news delivered to them after it already happened. For Bart this was Max, and for Kon it was Jim Harper.

Both were raised by elderly people.

Both for a good period of time lived in the same state just hours from each other.

Both essentially 'grew up' and changed their entire identities overnight which can be fairly read as an expression of deep depression.

They both died just within months of each other.

To counterpoint #5 they were both part of Tim's cloning adventures in present time and in a hypothetical future.

They were both erased from existence in the reboot, and both remembered each other and everything about the world before it rebooted.

As I mentioned before, the list above is not really mentioned between Kon and Bart in the comics, and they do not have any real conversations about how they share various trauma as comic narration tends to avoid characters hashing out feelings unless it is to serve growth that a writer wants to develop. However in a realistic scenario there is a strong likelihood that Kon and Bart would realize their commonality and feel kindred and comforted to know that there is someone else out there in the world that understands what they went through on a deep, personal level.

2.) Kon and Bart are FRIENDS outside of Young Justice and Teen Titans.

This is a bullet point that is a 'no duh' for all of them as each member of Young Justice/Teen Titans has been shown to be friends outside of beating the daylights out of bad guys, and many others have been shown to have deep bonds outside of 'work', but this point goes back to the introduction in that I feel a lot of people just have neglected to understand their friendship.

In their Young Justice days especially their friendship is unique and it is implied it started before the formation of team as Kon knew Bart's secret identity prior to the JLA: World Without Grown-Ups special.

Pre Young Justice/Early Friendship

Kon encourages Bart by name during the climax of their battle.

Throughout this special Kon refers to Bart casually by his first name and there is nowhere within this issue that seems to imply that Bart reveals this information during their team up. Kon knew his name beforehand which suggests either Bart told him, or he learned it second-hand from within the hero community.

Tim knows his name because of Batman.

This shows that there was a level of TRUST they had in each other even before the formation of Young Justice. To note, Kon does not learn Bart's name at all in Superboy and the Ravers #7 either when they first meet, so somewhere between then and the JLA: WWGU event Kon discovered or was told Bart's name.

Within this issue we see small crumbs that suggest Kon and Bart got to know a little bit about each other beforehand as there was some friendly teasing, banter and encouragement exchanged between them (even picking on Tim together).

Kon teases Bart and Bart remembers this for years afterwards, flipping it on Wally in his own series later.

Kon and Bart work together to win and are obnoxious about it, as they should be.

Also, when it came to Bedlam devising ways to defeat Tim, Kon and Bart by having each other imagine ways to kill one another, Kon was close enough by then to devise a way that was very specific and effective - by trapping Bart in a contraption that prevented him from moving at all.

Kon apologizes for imagining putting Bart into a restraining bench as his way to defeat him.

This again implies that Kon got to know enough about Bart to know what would cripple him in a fight; you can make an argument that he just thought it up on the spot basing it on first impressions, but if you read the issue entirely the implication still directs that they were friendly beforehand even if in the comics they had not interacted except for in Superboy and the Ravers #7.

The logical assumption is that Bart and Kon knew each other before this and were friendly.

Young Justice

Kon and Bart yet again tease and frustrate Tim together. This is reoccurring.

While they were in Young Justice we get to finally see their friendship really pick up because they finally had a comic series that they shared which meant they could grow and develop. Within this series we get to see them interact with each other in ways that are unique to them.

Young Justice #9.

Kon and Bart will often play games together during down-time in Young Justice (also in Teen Titans), such as Chess where Bart proves to be more calm and collected about it than Kon is as a counterbalance.

Young Justice #31

By the middle part of Young Justice it is well established that Kon is Bart's go-to person for entertainment within their team as depicted in the above issue where Bart desperately tries to convince Kon to break from his television program to be with him. We can assume Bart's suggestions are things that they have done together before. What is also interesting to note is Bart is asking to do things with him as Bart Allen, not as Impulse.

Young Justice #53

To further solidify that they are close friends and interact in ways specific to them, Kon and Bart not only play traditional games, but they took the time to joke with each other to come up with a whole new game that has no winner, it's just interaction and fun. This sort of interaction is unique specifically to them as the others are not part of this behavior.

Teen Titans/2003-2011

By the time the Teen Titan years roll around they both have assumed new identities, one where Kon takes a step back into Conner Kent as an attempt to live more normally (something he's always wanted to do), and one where Bart takes up the Kid Flash mantle. They both experience changes in drastic (and sudden) ways, and even through some offensive writing and general character assassinations, they still are shown having a unique and intense bond specific to each other.

For the sake of pacing I am only going to explore a couple moments that stood out to me (this series is 100 issues long!) that show both of them being close emotionally as by now they are emotionally bound friends.

When Kon discovers that half his DNA came directly from Lex Luthor and was mind controlled to attack his friends, naturally everyone was trying their best to stop him.

Bart was ordered to "take him down" being the person in the best place to do so, and instead of going heavy handed Bart decided to try to reason with Kon instead.

Bart doesn't want to hurt Kon. And he refuses to do so at personal sacrifice to himself.

Teen Titans Volume 3 #25

Unfortunately Bart was not successful here but he tried very hard to reach him and appealed to who he knew Kon was at a deep level.

The important thing to note is during this wretched time in their tenure a lot of things happen; one of the main ones being them both dying within months of each other (one of their shared commonalities). Kon died first, and then Bart followed.

During Bart's funeral during Countdown #43 they play a video Bart recorded of himself basically wishing everyone well and encouraging them to not be sad that he was dead. However there are a couple moments that stand out...

In Bart's speech he is addressing everyone in his team, but he specifically mentions Kon in two key moments; he is addressing and speaking directly to Kon as if everything is well even though at this time Kon is dead.

Kon never got to hear this.

Bart and Kon by this point have solidified a strong bond where perhaps when Bart was thinking about making this recording he knew that Kon deserved a special acknowledgement to help him in his grieving process, which in the past Kon did not handle well in regards to Bart (I will explain below.) After Kon died Bart either didn't have the time to make a new video or just didn't want to revisit it again and left it as it was mentioning Kon regardless that he was not going to hear it.

Bart and Kon did not stay dead for long and eventually came back, once they did they had to deal with the aftermath of being dead together...

One of those aftermaths being Kon's relationship with Cassie had started to shift in ways that neither knew how to deal with, nor did they know why it was changing as both were dealing with personal stuff at the time. They are teenagers, after all.

In an attempt to try to get advice, Kon went specifically to Bart for help; not Tim, Gar, Cyborg or Clark or any other 'guy'. He saw Bart as someone he trusted and someone whose input he valued. There is a great level of trust they both have for each other as talking about relationships is a vulnerable and personal step.

Teen Titans Volume 3 #83

Ignore the bad writing on Cassie's part who in this for whatever reason thinks Bart won't respect her if he knows there are relationship issues, and implies that Kon is not allowed to ask for advice from one of their closest friends. Kon breaks up with Cassie a few issues later citing that he wants to give her space to focus on being a leader, and that he wants to retreat (further) into Conner Kent. This is a decision he made himself and it is unknown if he reached out to Bart again for advice.

While the outrageous events of TTv3 kept Kon and Bart extremely busy, we do still get hints that they still do things together outside of being heroes and Kon still reaches out to Bart for help.

Superboy 2011 #3

During this time in comics canon (2003-2011), Bart and Kon live only 4 hours away in the same state (Kansas). Bart being a speedster obviously can be right there with him nearly instantly no matter where he lives, but the closeness also opens more doors of familiarity between them and more relatability.

Kon reaches out to Bart for yet more help when he suggests to Bart to race him for charity so he can help the farmers in Smallville that lost a substantial amount of revenue. Bart gladly accepts and their race has some great FUN moments as they banter and talk about current events.

Kid Flash Lost #1

In one of the final comics of the pre-boot world Bart still references that he watches movies with Kon casually, specifically showcasing that even in a dystopian future where The Matrix is realized, Bart is thinking about Kon and everything they do together.

Bart and Kon are friends, and their friendship has been unwavering without a lapse in trust as both have been anchors for each other; no matter what happens, if the other is alive then it is a good day and they are likely going to be gravitating towards one another.

3.) Kon's breakdown over Bart's "death" and coma.

I don't really see a lot of people talk about this part of Kon's history (even from hardcore Kon fans) unless it is specifically from a Konbart shipping lens and I am not sure why, because everything about the two issue mental breakdown is heartbreaking just on its own with no shipping element added.

Also in one of the issues it implies that Kon has (while subconsciously) bi-curious feelings towards Bart.

The start of Kon's breakdown begins on Apokolips where they were stranded because he got in a fight with Tim and they crashed there. Because of that fight it led to all of them getting traumatized by Granny Goodness, but Bart suffered the worst when his own scout was killed in front of Cassie, Cissie, Kon and himself.

Impulse #77

As a result, Bart was comatose for weeks and up until he woke up no one knew if he would survive.

Kon took it extremely badly. Not only is he himself traumatized from having witnessed it viscerally, but he also blamed himself for it happening in the first place.

Superboy #91

Kon is writing a letter to Dr. Serling back home while he is still in space and the entire letter is... heartbreaking as he pens out his own grief and trauma in a personal way.

At this point in time, Kon has accepted that Bart is going to die. Kon has essentially lost all hope that Bart will recover and he blames himself entirely for it.

Even when he gets back to Earth in Superboy #92 he still is having PTSD symptoms from everything that happened on Apokolips and Bart is still at the forefront of his thoughts along with everything else that happened there...

(Please remember the title of this issue it is important)

Below is Kon's personal dialog that shows he has intrusive and frequent thoughts about Apokolips, in particular Bart dying and the Lobo clones dying.

"Now Bart's dead. Ba-dump-bump."

"Apokolips. Satan's top choice for vacation spots, after Suicide Slum and Binghampton in winter." "Us. Young Justice. Stranded. Forgotten, unwashed P.O.W.S." "Impulse, a piece of him. All of him. I don't get it, anymore." "He died badly. The smell -- My fault." "The legion of naked Lobos. If there is one grain of comedy in any of this, it's the legion of naked Lobos..." "...'Cept they all died, too. "The aftermath, you don't have to see "A.I." to believe a robot can get very, very, upset." "Just try breaking the news to Red Tornado."

"Ah. Yes, and there's Impulse again. The rest of him. None of him. So whacked out on having watched and felt his own death..." "Cut to: the smell of Impulse frying." "Dead Lobos." "Torture." "Death." "Torture." "..." "Death."

"I am so out of here." - Kon-El

The first two pages alone set the tone for the rest of the issue even if it takes a manic tone with a theme of Alice in Wonderland as a fever dream from hell. Before we get there though we are hit with two panels that are... interesting.

"Hey. Mrs. K., Got any apple pie in the fridge? Oh, one piece is fine. Impulse is in a stupid coma, so he won't -- Hold me? Tell me the war never happened? Pet my head?" - Kon-El

When you look at these two panels the first interpretation is that Kon is implying that Bart won't be around to hold him and pet his head.

The second interpretation is that Kon was going to say that Bart wasn't there to enjoy the pie (thus one piece was fine) and that he had a break in thought and was directing his desire for Martha to hold him and comfort him.

Either way you look at these panels and choose to interpret them it could go either way considering Kon's fragile mental state and how close of friends they were, and where his TWENTY HOUR dream takes him, it could really have been that he was wishing Bart would hold him.

That Kon wants Bart to be alive to comfort and balm the terror that he faced while on Apokolips.

Hm. Hmmm. Okay.

So Bart's dressed as the White Rabbit (remember the title?) but not only that in Kon's own dream he has him make a reference to it being a Playboy Bunny Suit.

I'm just going to leave that there because nothing else can be said about it.

These particular panels have been floating around for ages without context and you don't need much other than to know that the other two are Cherub and Kon's dead girlfriend Tana Moon.

Tana was killed in the Sins of Youth arc by Amanda Spence specifically to hurt Kon.

Cherub was a clone created by Amanda Spence using Bart and Tana Moon's DNA. Amanda shot her in the head while Kon was having a heart-to-heart conversation with her, and as far as he knows she is dead at this point.

And then there is Bart who Kon has resigned multiple times is already dead despite the fact he is in a coma.

Two of the above were direct love interests that were hurt specifically because of Kon, to hurt him, and in his own dream Kon is placing Bart in with them as a person he loves who he is responsible for getting hurt.

The line that Kon might "secretly think of Impulse as a chick" is definitely skirting some lines of bi-coding, or at least getting as close to it as possible for a comic that was released in 2001 which was an incredibly homophobic era. Also it is fun to note that entire dream sequence is colored in bi-flag colors which was adopted in 1998, it was likely unintentional but you can take that as you will.

Kon's fever dream lasted twenty hours and after this issue he was back to "normal" and this breakdown is never mentioned again.

However considering that Bart's own "Death Video" in Countdown #43 had him talking specifically to Kon a couple of times, the two of them might have discussed what happened on Apokolips which led Bart to have the foresight to try to make things easier in a "Death is nothing at all, I'm only in the other room" sort of way. Because by then Bart knew that if he died, people would be upset. Kon extremely so.

4.) Kon helps Bart overcome his fear of using his scouts just by existing.

After the trauma-inducing terror that happened on Apokolips Bart himself was dealing with a bout of PTSD and he took a temporary absence from being Impulse and being a part of Young Justice.

To compliment Kon's own letter from Superboy #91 Bart claims that being Impulse "Isn't fun anymore" in mirrored trauma.

Bart eventually got to a point mentally where he found purpose being Impulse again, but he was extremely weary of using his scouts for obvious reasons.

Then the World Without Young Justice arc came and Bart was face-to-face with Matthew Stuart (Bedlam) who had been in a coma for two years and was out for revenge.

Using his own magical power he had found a way to force Bart into making scouts and he had them flung through time altering the timestream to a point where nothing looked familiar and Young Justice was... gone; the girls converted into villains, the boys were stripped of their powers and training as Kon was just a human teenager and Tim was just Tim Drake.

Bart was the only one who remembered them and it was up to him to stop Matt.

The problem was, he was petrified of absorbing his scouts back into himself because the last time one of his scouts died, he nearly died. Bart wasn't sure what would happen if he re-absorbed a dying scout, because he regains everything that scout experienced and felt while it was operating.

Superboy #99

"That'll keep him... busy while... we make our escape..." - Bart

"'Escape?' You can barely stand and your other selves..." - Kon

"... Are dying. I've made too many... Their only chance... is to take 'em back into me. It's just... dunno what'll happen if I absorb a dying scout..." - Bart

"Look... Don't worry. You'll be okay. Why, you're one of the good guys." - Kon while touching Bart's shoulder.

"Uh... ...Here goes everythnnngghh!!" - Bart

"Wow... You okay?" - Kon

"No... But it's no biggie. We better head for Bedlam's Castle, back to Tim..." - Bart

At first glance this might seem inconsequential but Bart really was absolutely petrified of absorbing those scouts back, and he did so because Kon encouraged him, and because Kon in that moment was vulnerable and could be killed with almost no effort.

Bart overcame his fear and absorbed his scouts which had a consequence that wasn't outright shown but if you're well-read in The Flash you know what is going on.

Bart is pushing his own limits here, he is hurt, badly, and is dying himself but because he is a Speedster they never reveal this when it is happening. A speedster admitting something is wrong, but is 'no big deal' is code speak for "I'm going to die, so let's hurry up and save the day."

Bart's exhausted here and is likely going through some sort of molecular and emotional trauma as a result of absorbing his dying scouts, but Kon and all of Young Justice is worth it.

In the end, Bart recovers, saves the day and everything returns to normal... almost.

5.) The Emancipation of Bart Allen AKA Bart "broke reality" for Kon.

Kon was erased from existence with the N52 reboot and with Rebirth he was still no where to be found and no one seemed concerned about where Kon was despite the fact that the multiverse/reboots were very common knowledge among the heroes by then.

Bart (retroactively) was the only one who was shown to actively remember Kon due to his own imperviousness to time shifts and due to the fact that he was able to avoid being rebooted himself. Cassie mentioned remembering "everything about Young Justice" thus implying that she too likely remembered Kon, but Tim didn't remember him (or Young Justice) and needed Zatanna to help unlock the memories of his dear friend. Bart remembered Kon and actively took it upon himself to find him, and by extension Young Justice.

The entirety of Young Justice 2019 has a lot of great moments between Kon and Bart (Bart was relentless in his effort to find Kon, both times he went missing) but there is one key moment that sticks out.

Bart's explanation for what happened leading up to him "breaking things" to find Kon is a little mushy when it comes to continuity placement (Bendis tends to have mushy writing) but his desire to find Kon over everyone else is blatant.

Please tell us Kon, what do you plan on doing? We'll never know bc Tim interjected.

Everything about this issue is charged with emotional depth between both Kon and Bart; from Bart's deep desire to find Kon and Kon's desire to help take care of Bart while he was vulnerable after passing out.

Extremely popular ships were started over less than this ^

After passing out, Kon takes Bart to the woods and builds a fire for them. Kon also remembers that Bart loves Chocos (DC's version of Oreos) and nicked a whole pack from S.T.A.R. Labs for Bart specifically.

6.) Lightening Rod

As mentioned above Young Justice 2019 offered us a lot of moments between Kon and Bart that were suggestive and showcased that Bart is relentless when it comes to making sure Kon is safe, and that Young Justice is intact.

Each member of Young Justice is clearly a lightening rod for Bart as Speedsters can have more than one however there is evidence to suggest that Kon just may have a pull on him more than the others.

Young Justice 2019 #1

When Bart is zapped to Gemworld at the same time as everyone else he alone appears next to Kon, suggesting he is a lightening rod. Tim, Cassie, Jinny and Kelly were separated to other locations entirely.

The working theory building from what we know of Speedsters and their lighting rods, is that when Bart was finally put in proximity to Kon, Bart was immediately attracted to him like lightning strike to a tall building.

Once Bart was reunited with Kon, well, we get the famous hug scene under the backdrop of the bi-flag.

Young Justice 2019 #2 again, popular ships were started over much less.

Knowing what we know now of the depth Bart went through to find Kon and reunite Young Justice can you really blame him for not wanting to let him go?

The rest of YJ2019 has multiple other instances of them hugging, touching and Bart getting very persistent about making sure Kon is safe, which contributed to him passing out.

In Closing

When it comes to shipping, either as just friends or as romantic partners in some fashion, the evidence provided above gives groundwork for a ship that is based on trust, compassion for the other, emotional vulnerability through shared experiences and protectiveness of the other all with an air of playfulness.

Their affection is mutual and their desire to help each other, mourn each other and support each other is not one-sided as we see both of them do things for the other.

There is a lot of angst there, and there also is a lot playfulness with willingness to listen to each other if in the hands of a writer that understands their past history.

Kon and Bart are friends, first and foremost, and Konbart should not be a rare-pair or considered a ship with no basis as the basis has roots going back to 1995.

8/5/23: edited for more concise phrasing and removed some misleading word choice, sorry about that it WAS unintentional.

[azulasmommyissues]

ATLA sexuality headcanons, part 2, Roku's era:

due to the limited information regarding this era, i might just be spouting bullshit. but! it's mY bullshit.

roku

-bisexual, male lean

-he mainly dated men when he was younger because he was trash at talking to women, but after mastering the avatar state he actually started seeing women (because raava is a lesbian)

-he is the master of homoerotic friendships, i tell you. sozin? gyatso? sud? no heterosexual explanation for any of them

-with sozin, roku was oblivious as fuck. he loved him, but he could never pinpoint exactly how. there were many moments of unresolved sexual tension.

-he fell in love with ta-min because she's absolutely raava's type

-but literally wore sozin's crown until the end of hid life and keeps it in his spirit form despite everything??? roku, please.

sozin

-he is gay but he's also awful

-contrary to all I've written until now, these things CAN co-exist

-being the golden child, a direct azula parallel, and also obsessed with roku?

-the fire nation law allowing married couples to legally annul their married was drafted and ratified by firelord sozin at around 44BG on the eve of avatar roku's wedding

-and gay marriage was made illegal after roku died.

-and he banned dancing in his oldest bitterest years of being alive because roku liked dancing, “sozin, It's my wedding! have a cookie! dance with someone!” (he didn't)

-he basically proposed to roku with his crown bfr

-i imagine that he was the one to kill gyatso. personally.

zeisan

-absolute lesbian

-in the avatar universe the lesbian masterdoc is a philosophical text that she herself wrote

-SO sick of sozin's imperialist, fascist bullshit. girl same. be gay study philosophy.

-she canonically bore no romantic love for khandro and he bore no such feelings for her either. the marriage was strictly political and based on mutual respect.

-rioshon, on the other hand? the love of zeisan's LIFE fr fr

ta min

-you've got no idea how much I'm looking forward to getting to know her when roku's book comes out. she seems nice. the roku episode barely gives her any attention, though. she's definitely raava's type that's for sure-- not a coincidence roku wifed her up AFTER mastering the avatar state, raava had been WAITING

-the vibes are relatively heterosexual

-girl was BEEFING with sozin

-"may i borrow your husband for a moment" if i were ta min and that was my wedding day idc if he was the firelord he would have gotten his ass beat (/j) so she's definitely a better person than me

-I'm a big fun of the theory that each avatar has the face of their past life's true love and aang looks a LOT like her so i think her and roku are sweet

gyatso

-gay bitch

-i don't know i just genuinely can't imagine him with a woman,,

-he had feelings for roku which weren't reciprocated and a nice old homoerotic friendship. his difference with sozin is that he didn't commit genocide and he DIDN'T leave roku to die in a volcanic eruption

-he loved roku enough to settle for being his friend if it meant he'd be happy

-he would have protected aang with his life, he was like a son to him,,, and he reminded him so much of his best friend

-after gyatso caused so much damage to the fire nation troops, sozin came to kill him himself. and god was it personal.

sud

-bisexual

-another homoerotic roku friendship

-roku you slutty slutty old man

-sud was roku's bi awakening, in fact. obviously sozin was the first one he loved but he couldn't explain it or understand it back then. he was old enough when he met sud to figure it out.

-him snd roku had tea dates after training, come on now

-they were friends first and foremost, though, lifelong friends.

taqukaq

-bisexual but never realises. I have to imagine he's at least somewhat conservative since he's from the northern water tribe and all—at least at first.

-then again, he was very spiritual and soft-spoken since his childhood. he travelled the world as a diplomat and saw many different walks of life

-he was perhaps in love with his good friend nai, and that's why his betrayal shook him to his core and gave him such terrible trust issues

rioshon

-lesbian

-also asexual

-perhaps she also fought sozin during the comet.

-maybe it was more personal for her than it was for him.

-she mourns the life she could have had with zeisan, if only she'd spoken out. if only she'd been honest with her feelings. damn the consequences! sozin won anyways. they wasted their lives and their love for nothing.

khandro

-aromantic and asexual

-bro finds rioshon captivating and respects the grind

_____________________________________________

now... nyanchi, boin, ezra, zeebee, bo, chegu, ema, sherab, and norbu, etc, who all appear in avatar legends as regenerated characters—i actually don't know what to say about them. they barely feel like characters-and they're not really that connected to roku. i just want this era to get fleshed out like kyoshi's and yangchen's! like their novels were so good. I'm more excited to find out more about the past avatars than to get new avatars, honestly, but that might just be me.

[inchidentally]

It wasn't me who started crying when I read that Lando and Oscar would one day stop being teammates. This is a strange feeling my body went through. Why did I cry? Why? Oh my God! I don't think I want to experience that.

oh babe trust and believe we're all ???? at how much Lando and Oscar as teammates has hit us it's wilddd <3 they've done absolutely nothing performative or loud but apparently massive amounts of mutual respect is the absolute best drug out there for us.

(under a cut to keep out of teams' tags)

considering how evenly matched Lando and Oscar have been this season and Lando saying over and over again how Oscar has pushed him to be better I'd say we have one of the fairest shots of them deciding to stick together at McLaren beyond 2025 as anyone on the grid apart from Charles and Carlos. I only don't put Lewis and George in there bc no one but Lewis knows how long he's going to stay in F1 and their bond is primarily professional. they like each other for sure but they're in very different positions in their careers to say the least.

but Charles and Carlos are a really good example of two drivers who've found an incredibly solid bond and mutual respect riding out extremely tough times and wildly varying fortunes. the fact that both of them are equally eager to remain with Ferrari in spite of everything is at least in some part because they know their relationship will never become one of the things hindering either of their careers. there have been plenty of moments where outright rivalry or preferential treatment could have altered their dynamic but it never has. they see each other as totally unique drivers with very different careers and can keep all of that rivalry drama out of it (including Carlos' gd family doing their best to try create it w the help of shit stirring fans). Charles and Carlos fully expect the other to fight for the championship as much as the other will but there's no existing history or personal pettiness to muddy that into a problem.

and while it's a totally different dynamic, that's exactly the kind of 'mutual respect above all' type relationship we can see with Lando and Oscar. and to me the fact that Oscar spent at least the previous 8 years getting to know Lando from a distance, plus the fact that Lando has always been so open about his mentality and his mental state, is so specifically helpful to their dynamic. especially because they're so close in age and Lando not being the type to wield his F1 experience over someone else or get all cocky about it. and I think that's specifically in response to how much Oscar chose to let Lando be at the forefront of visibility and demonstrably positioning Lando as The Star. I would NEVER have imagined that Lando would respond so positively and supportively to a rookie teammate winning a sprint win before him. I don't mean that I think he would've been a jerk or petulant, I mean that my expectation was for that win to become a permanent wedge mentally between Lando and Oscar. but nope, he genuinely actively warmed more to Oscar even more after that <3

good god I cannot shut UP but what I'm saying here anon is that we should honestly just not bother thinking about the end of 2025. there's as much likelihood that Lando and Oscar will look at RB and Mercedes and think nah I'm better off here at McLaren as there is either of them going elsewhere. bc driving Max's car or dealing w Toto could easily not be worth it - esp since McLaren seem to have a steadier upward trajectory than say, Aston Marton (so much would have to change for AM to be a forward career move for Lando or Oscar).

quick fic side note but I'm absolutely dying to have the time cleared to read Superdense Neutron Star/Post Supernova bc god I can tell that fic is going to live with me

but the easy, non-compromising relationship they've already formed considering that they're both young and hungry is SUCH a strong pull for staying together at McLaren. Oscar is happy for Lando to be whoever he needs to be and that means Lando will only get higher and higher in the rankings. Lando has responded to Oscar's deference off the track by giving him praise and respect that means any of Oscar's currently unknown to us but inevitable insecurities are taken care of. while no one can say what will happen we can at least say that we've got the best setup for them staying together!

there's also of course the obvious: Lando being so deeply embedded at McLaren and getting star treatment that he wouldn't get anywhere else - and the fact that Oscar took a massive gamble to get to McLaren and has been watching Lando's career so closely for so long. sometimes a career can take so many unfair hits that someone like Alex Albon finds at least temporary stability with a Williams but hope to move on. sometimes a driver can be shrewd and organized enough to get themselves into exactly the right spot like Carlos with Ferrari but he doesn't have complete security. but sometimes it's entirely possible that a young up and comer (or two) finds exactly the right fit from the start of their F1 career and succeeds for years and years!

and looking even further ahead to when they're both closing in on like 30 everything in F1 will be so different that I can't even fathom it so I'm just choosing to not bother! it's like how I see ppl in IG comments saying they hope Oscar marries Lily and I'm like ??? I just see married ppl as SOOOO different to college age that I don't know how people can make those leaps but maybe I'm just super immature lagfljafjh

side side note that while I'm absolutely positive Max and Lando would be horrific in every sense imaginable for Lando, I do occasionally enjoy imagining Oscar there at some point simply bc he's the only driver I can imagine giving RB pause. he's so smart and adaptable that he'd fucking dominate immediately in that car and they'd be braindead to not think hmmmm, this guy is (for example) only 25 and Max is almost 30 - maybe we should let Oscar choose a few specs for himself and see what happens. he could match Max in car smarts, focus and ambition but oooops he also has a sense of calm under stress that Max will never have. Max could openly despise him and it wouldn't affect Oscar's performance at all. and oohhhh to have Oscar be the one to topple the ivory tower nepotism at RB with a nailbiter of a WDC decision in the final race? to see what Max does in response to that? to have Alpine fanboys throwing chicken tendies at the wall watching Oscar's podium where he's also celebrating the championship? ohhhh fuck that's a tantalizing thought.

SORRY lol I really do not see that happening I just find that image so fucking hot. I don't actually want to see Oscar having to deal with RB in reality.

[floatingstirnerhead]

how do you get HRT or insulin when civilization, and it's industry, is abolished?

Anon I rewrote this post like three times because it's so important to me that people understand this. I want so much for everyone and am always so frustrated by the constant bad jacketing of nihilists so here it goes.

The first and most important point is that anticiv rejects all vanguardism. There will be no seizure of state power that mandates all power plants be turned off. It is a part of the real communist movement and involves the subaltern population rejecting alienation and finding their power, not destroying things they actively need.

Classical communism imagines that we will simply collectivize our current industrial society and distribute the spoils evenly. In the era of climate change, this is a highly insufficient analysis. If we don't stop clear cutting and strip mining, we'll go extinct, and bring most of the biosphere with us. At the very least, this means serious degrowth, regardless of whether the industry is collectivist or not.

I don't care about the poor little loggers who lost their jobs from tree spiking.

It is the productivist logic that must be challenged if we are to survive the 21st century. That every human being and every scrap of land be put to work. Human, plant, and animal diversity is being crushed by it, and we need that to live. We need to live in a way that's not driven by a "work or starve" mentality, in biodiverse places, where we are not defined by our labour.

This is not possible within an ideology that places the production of things as the cornerstone of everything. It does NOT mean never making things ever again, or even abandoning modern techniques such as insulin production, but it does mean applying serious critique to them:

Does this form of production require the destruction of vital ecosystems, even indirectly such as through power generation, pollution, traffic infrastructure, or use of goods that have such impacts?

Does this form of production require forcing people to do it under threat of death or starvation?

Does this form of production require large swaths of land to be barren, like parking lots or monoculture corn?

Does this form of production require people to subscribe to a specific ideology or way of being to participate in it?

The question of insulin comes up again and again but it is framed wrong. There will be no primmie Vanguard that topples the provisional government and shoots everyone with an insulin pump. It is a tool for the here and now for the powerless, about reclaiming our power outside of totalizing institutions that look at our beautiful earth and just see spoils to be harvested. It's a critique, not a program.

Anticiv praxis could involve black market medical production (including insulin, or HRT which already exists) to combat the increasing failure of the industrial model. In the same way that regenerative agriculture reimagines human relationships with the non-human or FNB reimagines food consumption, the same could be done for pharmacy; the earth is full of medicine that can be produced without destruction. This doesn't require abandoning modern techniques, it requires abandoning the constant liquidation of the non-human to run them.

The real movement is already emerging, in the shared bureaucracy hacks and desperate mutual aid posts, and the truth is right in front of us:

We don't do these things because we are obligated to, but because we need to keep each other alive to live ourselves.

That is the meaning of unalienated labour. It's true of each other and it's true of the earth. There's no primeval reset, but a refusal to view others, human and not, as disposable. To recognize that thinking of human beings as superior is going to get us killed. To recognize that we are within a vast web of life that demands respect, from human diversity to animal and plant diversity.

To keep ALL of our friends alive and flourishing, not meet the demands of tyrants and demagogues.

[hollowslantern]

What do you think gay men are attracted to in men that they can’t be attracted to in women?

It can’t be anything about femininity or masculinity obviously. That’s both sexist, and cultural so can’t be what drives men-only attraction.

It can’t be anything about stated identity because someone could lie just as easily as they could tell the truth in such a statement, and it makes no sense because homosexuality and heterosexuality exists in other species with no stated identities. It’s not like other animals without gender are all pan.

Saying idk it’s the vibes or some indescribable trait men have that women can’t but “I can’t explain” is a nonanswer.

Soooooooo what is it? Or do you think any sexuality but bi/pan is just cultural performance or an identity rather than an inborn orientation?

- [ ]

thanks for asking! I think Q and Data's friendship, particularly as seen in Deja Q, is one of my favorite relationships in TNG. they complement each other so well, as two nonhumans who have both demonstrated an intense interest in humanity, but from opposing perspectives— where Data openly admires humans, Q openly abhors them¹. by virtue of this shared fascination, and by being the only two "outsiders" to mortality (excluding the plot of this episode), they form a very fun duo to watch. in Deja Q, Q is cursed with Data's greatest wish: to become a human. this provides an excellent dynamic between them throughout the episode, where through Q Data is able to see what it might be like to adjust to being a human, and is one of the reasons why i think Data was such an inspired choice for who should be looking after Q as he adjusts to his new form. the other big reason of course is Data's own beautiful self. Data's kind, objective, non-judgmental approach to Q throughout this episode is refreshing, and I feel that Data gets through to him in a way nobody else could, just by being himself. he explains everything thoroughly, but not condescendingly (hes data, I don't think he has condescending in him), and offers valuable insight. he's able to put his observations of humans to good use, here, and is able to explain human behavior to Q in a way Q can understand, and he doesn't expect Q to intrinsically know how to act, and I really think that makes all the difference ². they have a mutual respect and sympathy for each other and I would watch 500 hours of their interactions.

¹or, at least, he says he does. personally I think that if he hated them so much he wouldn't be so obsessed with them, but that's an essay for another time

²having just come out of TOS, i can tell you this has happened several times in star trek. usually involving kirk actually. E.G. Charlie X, where kirk is unable to give a "Don't smack women on the ass" basics of consent talk without resorting to vague gestures and "well you see, when a man, and a woman," mumbling. it's literally painful to watch. use your words you stupid bitch. this is why charlie tried to kill you with his mind.

[cornus27florida]

Frederick Appreciation Post!

Sorry in the mess kinda style and born from various emotions tbh - the goal is to feel better towards thinking him as the best boi tbh ^^

As in, thinking more about him - Frederick! ~

Him being the Green Plaid Prince ultimately makes him the green flag too - there's so many examples but only in Gwen's dinner arc alone he keeps helping people that he knows care about him and being very supportive to Gwen <3

His character is so complex, the pioneer of the redemption trio - as he indeed make mistake that basically the trigger of the story unfold with unintentionally making Gwen hurts and then she meets the CPC. But it's not coincidence, as giving ultimate breaker for his father's evil plan. He indeed jerk and sassy and judgemental on early appearance but I know LambCat has stuff in store to gives layers for him and that's turn out right! Dark troubled past that's relatable but very capable of goodness - he just need an angel of the fortune (Gwen) to guides him to the light path and have mutual "special" relationship in form of respect and cares to each other = relationship goal, totally! This what healthy (love) should be! And he totally capable of goodness like what his sudden surprise! mentor at the street when wants to meet Gwen, Whitney, that later on becomes part of the CPC says - his pain although "subtle" is valid so he shouldn't belittle his own as 'insignificant' but he didn't need to wallow too long as once he feels ready - He could change his story, ultimately changes story roles. First part he painted as unaware villain, then later we learn how he could be a very nice supporter as simple a friend to Gwen. He's judgemental but that's his defense mechanism, and yet at the same time he isn't afraid to admit his mistaken opinion-ask forgiveness-and totally making amends out of it.. He just need to be pointed out gently about where his mistake!

Serious "Dark Comedy" 'Fun' corner

This give ultimate debate regarding topic about gaslighting, too eager 'To die' or passive suicidal ideation - one thing that I could say: mental disaster blonde, someone (or multiple) people please save him! This clear sign of "self-harm"

Frederick, and the cliffs - symbol of "death"

Sorry for ping there @randomgentlefolk but I remember your talk at episode 158 about Frederick and the cliffs at the Pastel Kingdoms

He never actively jumping to the cliff but somehow falling a lot too - and in the real world rational thinking...The height of the cliff are all abnormal (one of funny yet also concerning is when he accidentally fell down to the CPC as isn't like several meters? People could fall to death depending on many factors, but I feel if ordinary people (unlike him who has ridiculous Plaid genetics that makes him physically strong deep down) fall from the cliff like him-they die

And when i am rereading balcony serenade arc

The first event as the catalyst that make sure for Frederick that at least Gwen as his fiancee care-

^ the comment section pointing out: if Gwen let go, what happened to you?! You just fall from the cliff then? Maybe in the CPC for Frederick's case he somehow 'magically' surviving all the falling from cliff incidents but Frederick himself knows that "pushing someone from the cliff"=murder

That's the whole reason why he mistaken Gwen with Monika thus thinking Gwen as immortal witch after all - he so scared 'kills' Gwen

But why he feels totally OK if himself the one that falling? The nonchalant exclaim "I fall a lot" seems not bodes with me - if not adding the unwritten fact that if Pastel siblings are like fairy tale with superpower abilities each.. Then Plaids has fairytale resiliency and ridiculous power. Leland could rip a coffee mug in half. Make dull knife a lethal weapon. Frederick that supposed to be "the weakest" could carry 200 kilograms llama, and his resilience over falling from the cliff seems the nods for that. Blaine in physical power not clear but in swordsmanship skill he so excel. Now only need to see Lance that dubbed as the strongest plaid prince can do! It's established as he can make someone flying with a slap

[easy-revenge]

Do you think that Aki saw Himeno as a sister or just a friend and never more than that?

here's me challenging myself again bc for the life of me i cant comprehend what aki hayakawa is feeling half the time.

short answer to your question: no.

what did he see her as instead? im nowhere near a coherent and clear answer.

I'll tell u what i do know. we see aki forming loads of different relationships with ppl in chainsaw man. some of them clearer in their nature than others.

let's look at power and denji for example. family. that's an easy one. aki took on the role of the "guardian" at first, somewhat begrudgingly, but it very quickly got reshaped into him being their big brother.

i think seeing this relationship from a lot of different angles is enough to show that he most likely didn't view himeno as his sister.

in his brotherly role, he's very protective. with himeno, even though they were always saving each other, you could feel that their dynamic let him be vulnerable around her too.

he'd allow himself to be protected by her. he'd ask her permission to use the sword. he'd follow her lead and trust her judgement.

equals. even though she ranked higher than him, the mutual respect and trust between them made them feel like a team.

i think there's too many layers to their relationship for me to try and define it. if it's not familial love, is it a bond built around their respect and history as buddies? doesn't really cover all the bases. then is it friendship?

once again, im not sure. have we seen aki having any friends really? is it a coincidence that the two ppl that were somewhat marketed to be his friends are people who either are canonly in love with him or implied to be as such?

is it a coincidence that aki tends to display behavior that can be read as having romantic undertones as well? that he willingly gave years off his lifespan to save both himeno and angel without a second thought?

the answer to that is no, it's not. it's because these characters are way too complex and have a lot of trauma under their belt to navigate through relationships as the average human being.

aki has experienced a lot of loss. he's dishonest with the ppl around him and with his own feelings. he pushes people away to focus on his goal, but keeps making choices that contradict that way of living.

he's stumbling around this duality, almost as if he's in limbo. he's not letting himself have what he wants in the present. he's not giving people what they want from him. he's not dedicated enough to progress towards his goal.

and what does aki want in the present? my guess is: to be close to people. aside from wanting a family, to fulfil the role he missed out on, to get a redo of being a big brother and not mess it up, he wants ppl close in every sense.

that's why when his mask slips up, you can see how wholeheartedly he gives himself over to people.

he breaks around himeno a couple of times, letting his need for her slip through the cracks. he lets her touch him, cuddle him, light his cigarettes. he reciprocates, if a bit more hesitantly, stealing that cigarette standing just a tad too close.

is that attraction? or is it aki letting himself get the closeness he craves bc he knows he can? he knows he's allowed to bc himeno wants him there?

aki has to know himeno has feelings for him, at least in the back of his mind. does that keep him from getting even closer to her in fear of leading her on? would he want to get closer if makima wasn't forcefully pulling his attention to her? more questions i cant answer.

but looking at his relationship with angel as well, aki does follow this pattern. he's again putting up an act. he can't get along with angel, they are like natural enemies.

then the fear of loss creeps in and boom, he breaks. gives up his lifespan and pulls angel against his chest. it's like drawing the curse's sword all over again. he yells at angel for almost dying and nestles his face against angel's hair, holding him tight.

it's this type of behavior that leads me to believe that this is something that aki is deprived of. the closeness, the intimacy, someone to hold and maybe grasp onto. its something he's always needed and kept keeping himself away from.

is it love? is it friendship? is it response to unresolved trauma? a mix of the three? you tell me.

the fact that at no point throughout his storyline does aki have full control of himself also gets me. even if i was to speculate about the type of feelings he has for each person in his life, i know there's someone else ultimately pulling the strings in his brain. and that's a factor I can't break down and take into consideration.

so this is all i can give u by rubbing my two braincells together and not venturing too much into headcanon territory.

istg the inner workings of aki's mind literally keep me up at night.

[polyamzeal]

I am poly and my wife isn't necessarily poly, but isn't opposed to it either. When I discovered this about myself a few years back and told her, we discussed it over the course of a few months and we agreed to have a "closed" poly relationship. In other words, we want a triad. Unfortunately, we get accused of being Unicorn Hunters and abusive and toxic, and most of the hate is directed at me because I'm male (NB, but of the male sex) and told I'm just looking for a hookup and to abuse a bi girl to fix a shitty marriage.

That couldn't be further from the truth. My wife and I are actually very happy, and she's pansexual herself. I actually was not the one to suggest a triad, she was because it's what she's comfortable with coming from being monogamous. So I just keep getting ostracized by the community, insulted, and accused of things I'm not. We aren't just looking for a fling, or lying to anyone, we genuinely want a full 3 person relationship where everyone is equally partners with everyone. How can I approach being open about our dynamic without instigating the hordes? I understand that there is a lot of trauma there, but I just don't understand why we are met with such vitriol and hostility, instead of being listened to. It almost feels like we can't "be poly" if I'm not bi/pan (I'm hetero-ish). What can we do? Do you have any advice?

This is definitely a bit of a minefield. I will say that while the “closed triad” is the most represented form of non-monogamy in media and pop culture, it is also one of the hardest forms to achieve. Most people like to say that triads happen “organically” which I find to be a little too vague but I will say that an established dyad trying to fit a 3rd into their established relationship is always going to be very hard and tricky for everyone involved. 

The only real advice I can give is just continue to be as honest as possible about your intentions. You are looking for a dedicated closed triad of mutual respect. You understand that not everybody is looking for that and that is okay. A lot of people do have bad experiences being unicorned so they will still jump on you but just calmly explain your intentions. 

I would suggest talking it over with your wife and re-evaluating what you both want. If she “isn't necessarily poly” then maybe it is best if only you find a partner for yourself who just so happens to be a really good metamour to your wife. Someone she can be good friends but not necessarily partnered to each other, at least right off the bat. The difference here is actually probably quite subtle and might end up not even looking that different on the surface. But just going in with that mindset would probably make thinks easier on everyone. Just shifting expectations a little bit could a lot of weight off of everyone involved so it might be an idea to consider.

[khalixvitae]

i wanted to write poly rookvil x mc fics and general headcanons because i have anime boy rabies (life threatening) but i need mc to be fucked up irrevocably. like you. like me. like so many seyx sexy bastards out there. what do YOU think of alt!yuu x rookvil <3333333333333333333333

You think I’m fucked up irrevocably? Goodness, I’m honored! <3

But I love the idea of alt!yuu and RookVil. Frankly I think the mc of all of my fics is going to be alternative because that’s just. How I am and my writing is nothing if not self indulgent! I’m of the belief that both Rook and Vil have at least somewhat alternative tastes in fashion. At the very least they both enjoy the subversive! I know in my experience at least, my outfits are very methodically planned out and so is the time I allot to getting ready for the day! There’s a lot of thought and love that goes into alternative fashion- which I think Rook and Vil would both respect regardless of your precise subculture. As for headcanons, I have several!

Firstly, Vil is going to help you dye your hair (if you dye it, ofc). It’s a non negotiable, and frankly he’s the best person to trust with the task. He’s methodical, experienced, and nothing short of a perfectionist. It’s going to look incredible (as if he’s capable of producing work that’s anything less than impeccable).

Now, we’ve talked about blood vials and such on this blog before. I do think Vil would find the premise interesting- I mean he’s a brilliant potions master, and the blood of an individual is one hell of an item to have a hold of. That’s a lot of power you’re willing to give him, which he’d undoubtedly find attractive. The idea of relinquishing some of his own power to another person (someone he loves deeply) also sounds enticing. However he’s WAY more thoughtful about the process than Rook, who would be almost dangerously gung ho about it. I can also see Vil preferring a ring over a necklace- idk it just seems like that would be his preference.

So much makeup. Like, an insane amount. The three of you get ready together in front of Vil’s massive vanity. It’s almost like a ritual- before any event, the three of you gather to get dressed and do your makeup side by side, ofc aiding one another if need be. It’s an important kind of bonding activity that all three of you are extremely particular about. It’s also exclusive to the three of you- nobody else is privy to these pre outing activities.

Overall there’s just a lot of very intense closeness between the three of you. Sometimes others describe being around you three as being excluded from a conversation they aren’t even fully aware of. The way you exchange silent glances and affirmative nods makes it abundantly clear that there’s some form of communication nobody on the outside of your relationship could ever understand. Of course you all have your individual lives and hobbies, but that doesn’t negate the fact that when the three of you are together you’d like to live under one another’s skin. You aren’t one organism per se, but instead three very distinct people who are deeply intertwined and seem to be on the same wavelength regardless of the situation. You know each other so well, and it’s a relationship built on an equally spread layer of trust and mutual understanding. The lines between friends and lovers definitely blurred organically here- there was no particular definition for your relationship until Vil very matter of factly referred to the three of you as a polycyule. It was never a Formal “what are we” discussion- the three of you love one another, and never really questioned motives beyond that.

[ciphernull]

From 25 character asks (I'm going to be so greedy I am. maybe slightly sorry adsfnln I'm in love with a lot of ur beans);; 11, 13, & 22 for Alesko ;; 4, 7, and 11 for Vex ;; and 15 & 24 for Heskan?

[25 Character Questions for the Writer]

Alesko

Who are your character’s most important people?

Presently (aka just post SoR) his two most important people are Lana and Theron. He and Lana have a great deal of mutual respect and shared interest, to the point of him considering her a genuine friend, which is quite rare considering his usual relations to Sith. And for Theron… well, there's been some rough spots between them, but ultimately, they've saved each other's lives more than once. Alesko is slowly coming to trust and open up to him more, though hasn't missed an opportunity to drive the handsome SIS agent up the wall. Or against it, for that matter.

Who had the most positive impact on your character’s life?

This question has had me scratching my head, and I don't really know why, but I want to say Keeper/the Minister? Obviously there's a lot to unpack there, and I don't feel I can do it justice in short form, but most of his core values as an agent of the Empire can be traced back to Keeper's influence. (kinda copped out but i promise i WILL write more on this someday)

What is your character most afraid of?

Alesko's biggest fear is that he hasn't fully overcome his programming. That somewhere in his brain there's still a switch, waiting to be flipped. That he could never truly escape his cage. That no matter how hard he fought, or how far he went, it was always going to end where it began--alone, in the cold and dark.

Vex

What does your character hate the most?

Sith. Jedi. Politicians. Mandalorians. The list goes on. Sanctimonious self-important hypocrites parading their screwed up ideas of justice around under the guise of some greater cause. Really, he's just tired of war. And you know? Maybe he's a part of the problem, too, but at least he's honest about it.

What does your character miss most from their childhood?

Vex grew up on a farm on Dantooine, which was about as quiet and dull as it gets. Back then, they hated it and wanted nothing more than to leave, but now that he's a bit older and the wanderlust has settled, he occasionally finds himself missing the peaceful life. I'm gonna say they miss their family's old kath hound the most.

Who are your character’s most important people?

I feel like I emphasized this enough already in the last post, but their crew means the world to them. Especially Mako, she's practically his sister, and one of the few people he would trust with his life.

Heskan

Who does your character look up to and who do they despise?

This is again very WIP and kinda predictable, but I think Heskan would most look up to his master, a currently unnamed Mirialan woman. As it's traditional for Mirialan Jedi to take on their own kind as padawans when possible, she's been his main source of guidance throughout his early life. I still need to develop more about her, but I know that she's trans and absolutely has those 'older queer mentor figure' vibes.

As for despise… I have no idea. Obviously there's the whole Jedi/Sith business, but the word 'despise' feels more personal than that. No one has really emerged yet in the story that would spark that level of anger or resentment for Heskan, not enough to make the normally steadfast guardian waver. I expect this to change, but for now, I don't really have an answer.

What do they like about their appearance?

Heskan's not heavily concerned with his looks, but he is quite proud of his physique! He enjoys being active and feeling strong, and having that reflect in his appearance, especially his arms and chest (also for transgender reasons). Feature-wise, he would say he has a decent nose, nice lips, and a good smile. His hair is more of a mixed bag, because while he likes the style, he finds it a bit troublesome to maintain the locks on his own, without the expertise and extra hands of his master.